Oscars Best Picture Rundown #1:

 This Sunday, awards season comes to a close as the Oscars arrive; perhaps not as important as once billed, seeing who picks up an Academy Award statuette is still the most entertaining night on the film calendar. This year, nine films have been nominated for Best Picture and every day leading up to the big night, I will be running through each film and rating its chances of winning. Presented by Seth MacFarlane, the ceremony will be broadcast live through the night on Sky Movies Oscars (check the top-notch official poster below.)

So, time to grab your popcorn and get your sweepstakes ready - the rundown starts here..! First up?

AMOUR

Michael Haneke, the Austrian auteur, is renowned for making films so bleak you’ll either love ‘em or hate ‘em (see: Funny Games, Hidden, The White Ribbon.) But rarely does a film garner such unanimous praise as the French–language film Amour has done since it's Palme d'Or win at Cannes Film Festival last May. His emotionally-driven love story about a long-married couple who have to deal with a trauma when illness strikes is elevated by the two central performances (Emmanuelle Riva – officially now the oldest Best Actress nominee ever,and Jean-Louis Trintigant - cruelly overlooked) making this Haneke’s most acclaimed film to date. A nomination, and probable win, in the Foreign Picture category is a no-brainer; its appearance in the main category is a nice touch.  

  

Will it win?

If Haneke hadn't received a nod in the Best Director category, Amour's chances would be non-existent. But its aforementioned Foreign Picture nomination counts it out of the race. Last year’s winner (The Artist) may have been French-affiliated, but a foreign-language film has actually never won the top prize since the ceremony's conception in 1929. Nine have been nominated (including Amour,) with Clint Eastwood’s Japanese-language Letters from Iwo Jima being the most recent in 2006. Crazy to have to count Amour out when it is probably the most unanimously praised film out of all the nine nominees.

Film: 4.5/5

Chances of Winning: 1/5
 

Read my Amour review here

Readmore...

Amour

15, 2012, Directed by Michael Haneke

Starring: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert 












 

In cinema, there are directors who churn out film after film; directors who pay more thought towards cash in their pockets than how to make their current feature unique… But there are those directors who treat filmmaking like a jigsaw; a jigsaw with the most minute pieces, taking utmost care to deliver something standalone that merges traits used before, with additions, so that by the time said film is unveiled upon the world, an excessive amount of hype has been generated for a ready-made quintessential slice from that director's filmography. Whether you like him or not, Michael Haneke is one of these directors, and Amour is one of those films.

Garnering considerable hype largely due to the 2012 Festival circuit, not to mention its coveted Cannes Palme d'Or win, style is embraced warmer than ever here. Jean Trintingnant appears in his first appearance for 9 years as Georges to Emannuelle Riva’s Annes. The two are long-married retired music teachers whose lives are upheaved when Annes suffers a stroke. The central performances are, for want of a better word, spectacular. So much so, that Amour could be a documentary and Trintignant and Riva its subjects. The film commences with a flash-forward, and ensuing scenes which occur as the film works its way to the conclusion are incredibly emotive; tasked with picking a standout scene would be an impossibility.

 Like his films before It (Hidden, fellow Palme d’Or winner The White Ribbon), Amour is equally as bleak, hard-hitting and compelling, but perhaps to a greater extent due to the feeling of inescapable inevitability that effuses from the Austrian auteur’s work. His latest, one of which many could - and will - make a statement as his best, isn't just a film but a snapshot of the brutality life can throw your way, without even leaving your front door. Haneke’s presence is felt in the canny way he fixes the camera in position and tracks his characters, permitting his actors to do everything that suffices. Haneke tackles tough subjects in a characteristically unflinching but honest manner, heightening the integrity of all involved. Georges and Annes could be somebody you know, or you in the future; everybody can relate. This is remarkable filmmaking of the most understated form, and for this, Amour warrants all the respect it will undoubtedly receive.

4.5/5

 

Readmore...

BFI London Film Festival picks: 10-6

The 56^th BFI London Film Festival is almost upon us (it’s about time an’ all!), boasting a fresh new layout courtesy of new Festival director Clare Stewart. With over 200 films set to be shown over an 11-day period across Central London, here is Part 1 of my pick of what screenings you should be down as attending. Part 2 follows tomorrow…

10. Quartet

Directed by Dustin Hoffman
Starring: Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly

  

 Mon 15^th: 19:30 OLS / Sat 20^th: 13:00 OWE2 (American Airlines Gala)
It may be difficult to comprehend that Quartet boasts Dustin Hoffman's first directorial credit, his debut in the field. This largely is the reason why the film has garnered plenty of excitement, although the respected cast that the screen legend has compiled will impress many. Ranging from Dame Maggie Smith to Billy Connolly, here is The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for orchestra lovers. If the plot doesn’t manage to tickle your fancy, just remember the name ‘Dustin Hoffman.’

9: Frankenweenie

Directed by Tim Burton
Starring: Martin Landau, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara

Wed 10^th: 19:00 OLS / Wed 10^th: 19:00 IMAX (Opening Night Gala)

This year’s Opening Night Gala comes courtesy of Tim Burton’s latest foray into stop-motion animation 28 years after his short of the same name saw him fired from Disney; Frankenweenie, the black and white 3D comedy horror which sees the director delve back into what he does best; merging the hilarious and the terrifying into an all-round ball of charm. A variation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the plot sees a young inventor named Victor devise a way of bringing his beloved dog back from the deceased. Even if Burton of late hasn’t fulfilled your expectations (Alice in Wonderland, Dark Shadows), a new film from the prolific guy is always something to tinge the movie world with some excitement, especially when themes hark back to his best work: Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Corpse Bride.  

8. The Hunt

Directed by Thomas Vinterberg
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Annika Wedderkopp

Thurs 11^th: 15:30 OWE2 / Sat 13^th: 18:30 OWE1 / Mon 15^th: 15:00 VUES

If there is one reason to see this, it is for Mads Mikkelsen – a performance for which Le Chifre himself won a Best Actor gong at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Starring as primary school teacher Lucas, a man wrongly accused of abusing his best friend's daughter, Thomas Vinterberg's best film since Festen is a hard-hitting reflection upon what consequences can be had due to one girl's statement, be it truth or false.

7. Celeste and Jesse Forever

Directed by Lee Toland Krieger
Starring: Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, Ari Graynor

 

Sat 20^th: 17:30 OWE1 / Sun 21^st: 12:30 OWE2

A small-time comedy about the pitfalls of divorce between a couple who are still best friends, Celeste and Jesse Forever's inclusion in this year's Festival proves this is not your run-of-the-mill offering, instead raising the hype and boosting writer and lead actress Rashida Jones as a force that should be reckoned with. Saturday Night Live regular Andy Samberg plays Jesse to Jones' Celeste, and having been fortunate enough to see the film, their on-screen partnership is layered with honest humour and emotion; it’s been a while since a comedy has had this much heart. Seek it out.
 

6.Amour

Directed by Michael Haneke
Starring:Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert

Thurs 11th: 20:45 Mayfair 1/Sat 13^th: 12:15 Mayfair 1 (Love Gala in association with Time Out)

Arguably the most hyped film from outside the UK, Amour- a tale of a long-married couple who are forced to deal with devestating news - has already made a name for itself throughout 2012. Winning the coveted Palme d'Or at Cannes (the second for Michael Haneke), it appears that the divisive Danish auteur has broadened his appeal to the masses without changing a thing. Though his style may be polarising to some, his films are mesmerising to many, and for this reason Haneke's Amour needs to be witnessed.

  
 
   

Readmore...